Heaven Won't Wait
by Aini NuFire
Summary: 13x19 AU - Naomi doesn't let Castiel leave Heaven. All angels are needed to keep the lights on, after all. Good thing the Winchesters are about to locate one AWOL archangel who can bring him home.


**A/N: Look at that, I came up with another one shot. XD**

 **Disclaimer: Not mine. Some lines from 13x19 and 13x20. Thanks to 29Pieces for beta reading. ^_^**

* * *

"Heaven Won't Wait"

Castiel paced the length of Heaven's throne room, utterly flummoxed by this strange turn of events. He'd come expecting hostility, threats of violence, mistrust and loathing. He had not expected to be told to _wait_ , and then left completely alone. Didn't the angels know how dire things were?

Finally, Duma and her entourage returned, and Castiel rose from where he'd taken a seat to meet them.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Duma said.

"It's fine," he replied. "Actually, it's not fine because all of Creation is at stake." Castiel spread his arms. "But here we are."

Duma's expression twitched. "Yes, well…"

The lights dimmed with that strange grinding noise from earlier.

"There's a lot going on," she finished.

Castiel glanced at the wonky lights. "Yeah, I noticed." Whatever this was, it did not bode well. "Duma, what did you mean that we could help each other?"

"Find Gabriel and bring him back to us. Back _home_. And we can help you with everything else. Battling Michael, defending Earth."

"I can't find him," Castiel pressed, approaching her. "That's _why_ I need your help."

Duma just gazed at him with a mixture of disbelief and disgust. "Right. Well, then, that's a problem." She turned away.

Castiel suppressed a frustrated sigh. "I don't understand. Can't you find a few angels to—"

"That's enough, Castiel," a voice spoke.

Castiel froze, every nerve fiber in his being suddenly screaming in remembered terror at the sound of that familiar voice. He slowly turned, only to find one of his worst nightmares entering the room.

Naomi looked slightly different—hair short and shock white, but she still strode in with that same domineering and austere mien.

"It's not that we won't help you," she said, as though her presence here wasn't triggering memory upon memory of torture and agony. "It's that we can't." She waved a hand at the other angels, who quietly left the room.

Castiel's jaw clenched hard enough to break his teeth. "How are you alive?" he managed to grit out.

"A drill in the head wasn't going to kill me, you should know that."

"You know, I have to admit I was- was relieved to hear you were dead," he replied, somehow finding the wherewithal to look at his tormentor directly.

Naomi gave a dismissive head shake. "We never did see eye to eye."

Castiel's gaze hardened. "No. No, we didn't," he said in a low voice, fury burning inside him so hot he had to fight to keep it locked down. "Because you _stole_ my memories. And you threatened to 'tear me apart,' and you made me _repeatedly_ act out Dean Winchester's murder." He closed the distance between them, vibrating with pain and rage. "And you killed many, many people."

Naomi just nodded along while he spoke, unfazed. "Those were simpler times," she said with a shrug and grimaced smile.

Castiel gaped at her in disbelief. "'I'm sorry' goes a long way," he ground out.

Naomi nodded. "Mhm hmm." And then she was stepping away. "After Metatron attacked, I had a few reliable angels spread the word that I was dead."

Castiel took a moment to process that. "So you've been hiding," he scowled.

"Recovering," she said in exasperation.

Castiel shot her a dubious look. "All this time?"

Naomi rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Well, forgive me for taking a few years to put my thoughts back in my skull." She ducked her gaze for a moment. "There's still a few holes—pardon the phrasing. But I'm mostly here. I _have_ to be."

The lights went out with a whirring sound, and Naomi shook her head in aggravation.

"Do you know what powers heaven, Castiel?" she asked, taking a seat at the desk. The lights came back to full strength.

Castiel frowned, unsure why she was asking. "Yeah, us. Angels."

"That's right. We're all…" She trailed off, expression pinching. "Every angel is like a walking, talking battery."

The lights dimmed and groaned again.

Naomi huffed. "And _that_ is what happens when we run out of power."

"I don't understand."

"Well then let me make it divinely simple for you. There are a grand total of nine angels in Heaven, present company included, and one or two on Earth. And…that's all."

Castiel frowned, trying to discern if she was lying, because that couldn't be… But her eyes contained no deceit.

"We are the last men and women and divine waves of light still standing." Her expression hardened. "As it were."

Castiel felt his lungs compressing. "No, that's, uh… That's not, um…" He couldn't breathe. The implications hit him like a wrecking ball. "I knew our numbers were small…" he said carefully.

"You wanna know why we can't help you?" Naomi said. "Because none of us can _leave_. We're the only things keeping the lights on."

They failed again as though on cue.

"Barely," she added. "We need everyone. Especially an archangel. Now, the others thought any archangel would do—long story." She looked up to meet his eyes. "But your news about Gabriel is…for lack of a better word…blessed. As is your return."

Castiel frowned. "But if you can't help me find Gabriel…"

Naomi stood up. "We'll try reaching out through angel radio," she said. "Over and over again, as long as it takes. But in the meantime, we need everyone here."

A chill ran down Castiel's spine at the sudden gleam in her eye. The doors behind him opened and two angels came in, immediately seizing his arms.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Protecting Heaven." Naomi turned to the wall and pressed her palm to a console. One of the panels slid open, revealing an alcove. She then nodded to her lackeys, who began dragging Castiel toward it.

"I know better than to think you'd willingly stay and help us," she went on, stepping aside as Castiel was shoved backward into a pod-shaped installment.

Metal cuffs instantly slid out and snapped around his wrists. He struggled frantically, memories of past horrors assaulting him at being helpless under Naomi once more.

She came to stand in front of him, mouth pursing in a simpering moue. "This is for the good of Heaven, Castiel. If Gabriel returns, you will be free to leave. But right now we are burning out. And if Heaven crumbles, all the souls that have been entrusted to our care will fall back to Earth." Naomi pressed closer, almost nose to nose with him, and lowered her voice sympathetically. "Picture it, Castiel. Billions upon billions of ghosts unleashed upon the world. All that chaos. All that…death."

He strained against the cuffs. "I will find Gabriel!" he promised, pleaded.

Naomi shook her head regretfully. "We don't have the time." She turned to pull something out of the desk drawer, and Castiel's heart seized when she came back with a large band of metal.

"Don't…"

She snapped it around his neck, the steel biting and cold. Then she pulled a cord from the side of the alcove and attached it to one node on the collar. Another was hooked up to the other side, and Castiel jolted as his grace was instantly electrified into a current that coursed through the cables and into the walls.

Naomi stepped back. "You professed that angels were meant to be humanity's shepherds. This is how we shepherd them."

And with that, she and her lackeys left.

Castiel clenched his fists and tried to break free of the restraints, but all of his strength was currently being siphoned off to help power Heaven's halls. His muscles grew weak, and the only thing holding him upright was the curve of the pod he'd been strapped to.

Castiel's vision blurred with helplessness and despair, and the crushing weight that he'd let Dean down. Again.

* * *

Dean tossed Sam the keys to the trunk so he could stash the wooden swords. He looked at Gabriel, who was standing a few feet away with a despondent air as he gazed up at the building he'd once called sanctuary. Maybe even home.

Sam slammed the trunk closed, and the archangel finally turned.

"Listen," Gabriel said, sounding more chipper than his posture belied. "I know you two weren't the, uh, eagerest of beavers when it came to helping me out back there. So, uh…I just wanna say…thanks."

Dean just looked at him, then away. No, he hadn't wanted to get caught up in this crap fest, not with bigger things at stake like Jack and Mom, Michael, Lucifer.

…Cas.

Why had Dean agreed to let him go to Heaven? He should have known better. Every single time, it never went well. But they were at the end of their rope and all they had left were bad ideas, as they'd put it.

Dean had told Cas to not get dead.

He should have said, 'you'd better come back.'

Because, as it turned out, there were things just as bad as getting dead.

" _So_ ," Gabriel went on, clapping his hands together. "This other world Michael…how we doin' this?"

Sam's brows rose dubiously. "Wait, you're actually gonna help us?"

"Yeah, no tricks?" Dean added skeptically. He'd been burned by too many winged dicks.

Gabriel gave them an affronted look. "A deal is a deal." He shrugged. "And, if I'm being perfectly honest…tricks are for kids."

Dean swallowed. "Well, uh, there's actually something else you could do for us first."

Gabriel arched a brow. "Isn't the Michael thing big enough?"

"Cas went to Heaven to ask the angels for help, and he never came back."

Sam dropped his gaze to the ground.

Gabriel narrowed his eyes on them. "So you want me to pop on up there and find him?"

Dean took a breath to keep his voice level. "Look, the angels aren't happy with Cas, for a lot of reasons. We were desperate, though." That spiky lump in his throat grew a fraction. "I don't know if they would have killed him, or just locked him up…"

Gabriel was eyeing him with intense consideration. "Yeah, okay," he said soberly. "Castiel did try to stop Asmodeus from taking me back. I owe him one."

"There's a portal to Heaven," Sam spoke up. "Otherwise, I think the gates are closed."

Gabriel frowned. "Alright. You wanna drive?"

Dean didn't need to be asked twice. He took the keys back from Sam and pivoted toward the driver's side door. Once his passengers were in, he booked it toward the highway.

* * *

Gabriel gazed at the empty playground with lackluster enthusiasm. This was Heaven's portal? Really?

Sam twisted around in the front seat. "You're gonna be okay if you run into any resistance up there, right? I mean, you're an archangel, so none of the other angels could actually do anything to you?"

Gabriel donned a debonair grin. "Aw, that's sweet that you're worried, Sammy."

"You're our only chance of getting Cas back," Dean said gruffly.

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Relax, fellas. I'll be in and out in no time." He pushed his door open and exited the car.

But despite his confident declaration, Gabriel felt a thread of trepidation as he approached the sandbox where a massive sigil had been etched into the granules. It had been centuries since he'd set foot in Heaven, and he'd honestly never planned on going back. He didn't _want_ to go now.

But if Castiel was in trouble up there, then Gabriel was the only one who could do anything about it. And he'd promised to help with the other world Michael, which they'd need Castiel for, too.

Gabriel stopped at the edge of the sandbox, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

Light billowed up around him as the portal activated, and the next moment, he emerged into a sterile white hallway. Gabriel automatically tensed, but there was no one around. Huh.

He crept down the corridor, eyes and ears peeled. But everything was quiet. Too quiet. Where the heck was everyone?

The lights flickered, then settled. Gabriel raised his brows. "Well, that can't be good," he said out loud.

Puzzled, he decided to make his way to the throne room, just to see who was in charge up here with all the archangels gone. He was almost there when he finally ran into someone.

The lower angel pulled up short, expression shocked. "Gabriel," she breathed.

He grimaced. So much for going unnoticed. "Hey-ya. Duma, isn't it?"

She nodded, eyes widening with elation. "You heard our call."

He quirked a confused brow at her. "Actually…no."

Her mouth turned down. "But you're here. And we've been calling you on angel radio for days."

"Uh-huh. Yeah, I turned that off ages ago." He clapped his hands together. "But listen, you haven't by any chance seen Castiel up here, have you?"

Duma blinked in dismay. " _That's_ why you've come?"

Gabriel shrugged. "He owes me money. So have you seen him?"

Duma's mouth pinched, and Gabriel narrowed his eyes at her suddenly shifty demeanor.

"Listen, cupcake, you may or may not have heard from Castiel about the impending invasion from a Michael from another world, but I'm kinda on a time constraint here. Where is he?"

A muscle in her jaw ticked as though she were trying to keep it shut, but she apparently couldn't help ducking her gaze down and slightly to the right—toward the throne room.

Gabriel's expression hardened and he pushed past her. She sputtered something incoherent as he stormed inside. Except, the throne room was empty, and _that_ was weird. Annoyed, Gabriel started to turn around, only to freeze when he spotted an alcove in the wall—with Castiel inside.

For a moment, Gabriel could only stand there stunned. The sight was frankly something out of a sci-fi movie. Metal cuffs around Castiel's wrists had him strapped to the pod thingy, and there was a steel collar around his neck with two cables attached that had slivers of blue running through them. Gabriel's eyes widened in realization, and he finally lunged forward.

Castiel's eyes were closed, his face lax as the walls around him hummed with the energy of his grace. Gabriel yanked the cords off, and some generator made a guttering noise. He then turned his attention to the collar and found the catch release. Once that was loose, he tossed it on the floor with a clatter. Next were the cuffs to get Castiel out of this damned contraption.

Shoes clacked on the tiles behind him. "Gabriel."

He flicked a withering look over his shoulder. "Naomi. I take it this is your invention?" He finally snapped the manacles open, and Castiel started to list forward. Gabriel caught him and eased him down to the floor.

"It was necessary," she said unapologetically. "In case you haven't noticed, there are hardly any angels left in Heaven. We're barely keeping it running."

"So you decided to plug Castiel in like a damn battery?" He surged to his feet. The last time he'd been here, Naomi had been an up and coming general with a creativity that bordered on the barbaric. She'd obviously way surpassed that line by now. "How many more of our brothers and sisters have you got in the Matrix up here?" he demanded.

Naomi rolled her eyes. "No one. All the other angels here know our duty is to protect Heaven. If Castiel could only have been persuaded to feel the same, that wouldn't have been necessary." She pulled her shoulders back. "But now that you're here, we'll have more power to keep running. And Castiel can return to Earth." Her mouth curved upward in a small sneer. "To Sam and Dean Winchester. I told him from the start that he'd be released once you returned."

Gabriel's jaw tightened. "And why should I care about helping you?" he spat. "When all angels have ever done is fight each other over petty slights and egotistical ideologies."

Naomi's brow furrowed. "Because if you don't help us, Heaven will shut down. All the souls will be cast down to Earth."

Gabriel faltered. Well…crap.

"Did Castiel tell you about the other world Michael who's planning to invade?" Because if Michael destroyed the world, there wouldn't be a place for all those souls to go.

She shrugged. "He may have mentioned that. Although, more angels from another world would greatly help our numbers."

Gabriel clenched his fists. How the hell had she ended up in charge?

"There are nine of us left, Gabriel," she went on, piercing him with an earnest look. "We need you. Heaven needs you."

He wanted to roll his eyes. Everyone needed him.

But, damn, if these weren't legitimate, end of the world crises. _Nine_ angels? Oh Dad help them.

Gabriel could only deal with one catastrophe at a time, though. He glanced down at Castiel, who looked like he was starting to come around, and then back at Naomi.

"Okay, here's how this is gonna go. I'm gonna deal with the Michael threat first, and then I'll consider helping you with the electricity problem up here."

Naomi blinked in shock. "Gabriel, you can't abandon us."

He smirked. Yes, he could. He was very good at it, too.

But what he said was, "I'm not. I'm just prioritizing. And if you want my help, you'd better get your act together, sister. Because if I find out you've been enslaving any other angels…well, I might just stick you in your little battery outlet."

Her mouth pressed into a tight line, but she didn't respond. She flicked an uncaring glance at Castiel, who was lolling his head as his eyelids fluttered. And then she turned on her heel and strode out.

Gabriel knelt down next to Castiel, who jerked into full consciousness and started thrashing.

"Whoa, easy, kiddo," he said, gripping the angel's arm. "It's just me."

Castiel blinked rapidly. "Gabriel?" he rasped. "What…how…?"

"Ran into Sam and Dean. They said you'd come up here but hadn't come back down. Thought I'd check in and see what was keeping you."

Castiel's eyelids continued to flutter dazedly, and he craned his neck around. His eyes widened on the alcove, and he tried to bolt upright. "Naomi. She—"

"I know." Gabriel gripped his arms and tried to hold him steady, and was a bit alarmed at how badly he was shaking. "I have half a mind to shove her in that thing myself. But I let her off with a warning. Seems Heaven's shorthanded."

Castiel gulped in a ragged gasp and shuddered, his fingers crooking into Gabriel's arms. "Can- can we leave?"

Gabriel frowned at the tremor in Castiel's voice. "If you think you can walk."

Castiel squared his jaw and pushed himself up. He stumbled and Gabriel had to brace him, but he kept his feet. There was a wild, haunted look in his eyes that Gabriel didn't like at all—that he recognized all too well—and so he took his brother's arm and started guiding him toward the hallway.

No one stopped them or even showed their face as they made their way to the portal, and soon they were stepping into swirling light and smoke and landing in a sandbox Earth side. Castiel's knees started to turn to jelly.

"Whoa," Gabriel protested. "I'm not carrying you to the car."

"Car?" he echoed distantly.

Two doors slammed in chorus, followed by similar shouts. "Cas!"

Gabriel looked up as Sam and Dean hurried over, their eyes wide with worry.

Dean immediately gripped Castiel's other arm. "Cas, hey. What'd those bastards to do you?"

Castiel's throat bobbed. "I'm fine," he said, voice thick with more gravel than usual.

"You don't look fine. What happened?" Sam asked, brow furrowed with concern.

"Seems Heaven's running low on juice," Gabriel answered. "And Naomi decided to plug Castiel's grace in like a battery to help keep the lights on. Don't worry, he'll recharge."

Both Winchesters' brows flew upward.

" _What_?" Sam exclaimed.

"Wait, that bitch Naomi?" Dean snarled. "She's supposed to be dead!"

Castiel shuddered at the name. "I thought so too, but…"

"Cas, did she…" Dean's voice cracked.

"She didn't try to brainwash me again," Castiel said quietly.

Gabriel blinked. "Excuse me, brainwash?"

Castiel leaned away from him and into Dean. "Can we just go? Please?"

Dean instantly straightened and wrapped an arm around Castiel's waist to take his full weight. "Yeah, yeah. Come on."

Gabriel watched them hobble toward the Impala with a frown. "There's a story there," he said to Sam.

The Sasquatch Winchester swallowed. "Naomi is Cas's Asmodeus," he finally whispered, and started after his brother.

Gabriel mentally reeled back, that name triggering all kinds of knee-jerk reactions, namely terror and phantom pain. He looked away to try and compose himself.

Son of a bitch, he should have stuffed Naomi into that contraption after all. He had half a mind to go back up there and do just that, but the boys had climbed into the car and Castiel obviously wanted to get as far away from here as possible.

So Gabriel swallowed his own remembered horror and hurried to catch up. He slid into the backseat next to his brother, who had curled into a ball against the opposite door.

Dean kept casting worried looks in the rearview mirror as they pulled away. "You sure you're gonna be okay? What do we need to do to help?"

"Nothing," Castiel responded. "I just need to rest."

"Okay." Dean veered the car onto the road. "Okay, we'll be home soon and we'll get you tucked in bed with some soup or something. Okay?"

"Okay," he murmured.

Silence fell save for the rumble of the Impala, and Gabriel regarded his little brother intently. He'd left Heaven because he loved his family too much to watch them fight. But he'd ended up leaving those who couldn't fend for themselves to be brutalized and taken advantage of. What did that say about Gabriel's 'love' and 'devotion'?

He scooted closer to Castiel, careful not to crowd him, and reached out to gently touch his arm. His own grace wasn't exactly fully charged, but he let a tendril extend outward and soothe the sputtering flames of the seraph's equally wounded essence.

Castiel stilled. Then, "Thank you for coming after me," he whispered.

Gabriel gave a half-hearted shrug. "You're my brother."

And it was time Gabriel started acting like it.


End file.
